Rewriting Destiny
by ducky116
Summary: Was Tess really Max's destiny or was she merely trying to become his destiny?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters, plots, or timelines of Roswell, I merely manipulate them for my amusement and yours.

Rewriting Destiny

Chapter 1: Antar

Ava looked up at the tall man next to her. She loved her husband, but she wasn't sure that he felt the same. Zan turned his head to look down at her and he smiled. "Are you ready, my dear?" he queried.

In response Ava put her small, delicate hand on his arm and together they walked outside. Their subjects were waiting to see them. She loved these grand appearances that they made because Zan was always at his most attentive. When they were alone, he wasn't exactly dismissive, but he always had this distant look in his eyes like he was thinking of something, or someone else. The worst part was that she knew there was no one else and how can you compete with a ghost, a dream.

At night he would kiss her, but there was no passion, no fire, no real emotion. It was as if she were his duty, his responsibility. He never even got angry with her. He fought with the headstrong Rath all the time and even occasionally with his sister, but never with her. Every time she did something to annoy him, he would just look at her with that infuriating detached smile, as if he were living in another world and nothing from this world bothered him at all.

She had tried to speak to him about it, but every time she brought the subject up, he only got confused. "Ava, we're married. I love you. I would protect you from any harm. How can you even think that?"

Maybe he was lying to her. Maybe he was lying to himself. But one thing was for sure and she was not blind. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she knew that she had only been chosen as Zan's bride, chosen by his family and his advisors. He had agreed to it, but only the same as he would have agreed to anything to benefit the people. Still, life as Antar's queen was pretty good. It more than made up for Zan's shortcomings as a husband. And in her really honest moments, she admitted to herself that she didn't really love Zan as much as she loved the royal title she had as his wife. And she would fight harder to keep that title than she would ever fight to keep her husband. Unfortunately, without her husband she would have no title. Therefore, since she loved being queen, she loved her husband.

Zan and Ava waved to the crowd and performed their royal duties. Suddenly shouts rang out across the courtyard as two men began to struggle with a long, evil-looking blade. The crowds scrambled to get away, but one young girl didn't get out of the way fast enough and the blade cut deeply into her abdomen, her blood spilling onto the stones beneath her as she fell to the ground.

Some of the royal guards had formed close and protective ranks around their king and queen and others tried to calm the anxious crowd and still others pursued the men, who had fled as soon as they realized what they had done. The girl lay on the stones, the life draining quickly from her body. Her friend clutched at her crying, "Kira, Kira, don't go. No!"

Zan was struck almost senseless by the sight of the dying girl. The life entered his stunned body with a jolt and he fought to reach her, arguing with the guard holding him back.

"Sire, it is for your own safety. We don't know what will happen to you if you go there."

"I must go," he cried out frantically. "She's dying. She needs help."

Ava was surprised by the tone of his voice and by the expression on his face. He had the look of someone who had seen one they love who has been hurt and is in pain. The fact that he responded this way to a complete stranger scared her. She looked quickly to the girl. This girl was insignificant looking, not beautiful or extraordinary. She was just a commoner. She was not important, she was nothing. Ava was his wife. Why had he never responded to her that way? She felt instinctively in that moment that her greatest fear had just become reality, that she had lost him. And instinctively, she reacted.

Throwing her arms up in the air, she fell into a swoon, catching Zan's attention. Someone in his care who was showing extreme distress like that, jerked Zan out of his passion. The guards still held their protective circle around him as he held Ava and carried her back into the palace. The girl in the court, now dead and forgotten, was being carried away in a different direction altogether. Ava smiled. She was saved. She was still queen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Roswell characters, plots, or timelines, I merely play with them for my amusement and yours.

Rewriting Destiny

Chapter 2: New York

The sounds of traffic permeated everywhere. You couldn't get away from it. Rath enjoyed the noise, but Zan liked quiet better. That was why he still woke in the middle of the night to enjoy the peace that reigned over NYC in those wee hours. When the noise and bustle faded over a sleeping city. He would look from Rath and Lani to Ava laying beside him.

Ava. She was a sweet kid, but rather small, a fact that appealed to his protective nature. Their protector had encouraged this. He'd stayed around long enough to fill them in on what was expected of them. Part of this, he had informed Zan, was that Ava was his mate and his responsibility. And he wasn't one to shirk his duty, so he took care of her and provided for her as was expected of him. But for a long time now he had had a feeling that there was something more, like part of himself was missing.

He hoped Ava didn't know how he felt. She was such a sensitive little thing and she followed him around like a lost puppy. Obviously, she loved him. He wished he could love her in return and he did care for her, but he kept having this nagging feeling that someone was waiting for him just around the next corner.

Every day, he took care of Ava and looked for her and nothing happened until one day.

It started as a usual day in the city. That god-awful traffic again, the noise, the smells, the people. Then he turned the corner and it was THE corner. He saw a young, dark-haired woman standing with her back pressed against the bricks on the side of a building facing two men who were confronting her.

As soon as Zan came around the corner, she looked his direction. The world stood still the instant her brown eyes met his and he felt an electric charge go through him. She was his soulmate, his missing piece, his world. A mute appeal for help flashed from her to him and he responded to the call.

He called threateningly to the men and that's when he saw the gun in shorter one's hand. In his fright, the man squeezed the trigger and the bullet left the gun and ripped through the girl's body inches from her heart. The men fled and the girl slid down to a crumpled heap on the ground.

Zan raced to her side and felt for her pulse. Ava, who had been right behind him, threw herself on him crying hysterically. "Zan, it's so awful. The blood's everywhere. Take me away, Zan. Take away the blood." He could hear his protector's voice once again, "Ava's your mate. Your duty is to her. You must protect her and keep her from harm." He tried to look again at the girl, but Ava's hysterics were distracting and he rose to steer her away from the girl's body.

Ava's sobs would not be quieted until they had gone several blocks from the scene. He thought longingly of the girl. He didn't even know her name, but she was his. He knew it. And he would never even see her again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Roswell characters, plots or timelines, I merely play with them for my amusement and yours.

Rewriting Destiny

Chapter 3: New Mexico

Max and Michael sat together in the Crashdown Cafe. Michael was there to eat and Max was there to watch Liz Parker.

"You're so ridiculous, Max." Michael said through a mouth full of food. "Liz doesn't even know you're alive. How could you possibly have this connection?"

Max glared at his best friend. "I wish I'd never told you about it. I can't explain it. All I know is that..."

"The moment you first saw her in third grade you felt this connection with her," Michael interrupted. "I know. You've said that before. Obviously, the 'connection' isn't a two way street. Why don't you get over it already?"

Max ignored him and snuck another look at Liz. He really couldn't explain it, not even to himself. That jolt that had hit him the minute he saw her. The strong feeling of belonging to her. It didn't matter that she barely noticed him, it didn't matter the rumors he had heard about her dating the sheriff's son, he knew what he felt. He knew she belonged to him.

He was startled out of his reverie by two men directly across the cafe shouting about money. He heard Maria deLuca scream in fright and then the shorter man pulled out a gun and threatened the other man with it. Max, along with everyone else dropped to the floor as the men struggled with each other. The gun went off and the men raced out the door.

As the people started to pick themselves up, Maria called anxiously to Liz. Turning his head, Max saw Liz's feet protruding from behind the counter where she lay motionless. He scrambled to his feet and headed straight for her. Michael tried to stop him, but he shrugged him off. He had to stop Maria from seeing what was going on, so he told her to call 911.

The restaurant was still in confusion, but all his attention was focused on Liz. He ripped open her uniform to see a bullet hole in her stomach. He laid his hand over the wound and directed all his energy on her. Nothing. He lifted her head. "Look at me, Liz. You have to look at me." Her dark eyes met his and he felt the connection stronger than ever. Now he could feel the current of energy running between them: his energy running from him to heal her and her energy filling his mind with images.

The energy flow ceased and he lifted his hand to show her skin unmarked in any way. Her eyes were still looking into his like she was seeing him for the first time. She was his and now she knew it too.


End file.
